NORTH PHILADELPHIA — Republican Sen. Pat Toomey pushed back Friday against any idea that Donald Trump’s supporters in Pennsylvania could harm his re-election chances since he hasn’t supported the nominee.
In an interview with the Washington Examiner Friday following a campaign event at a Fraternal Order of Police lodge, Toomey said that there is “no reason in the world” why Trump’s supporters in the state shouldn’t back him on Nov. 8 over Katie McGinty, his Democratic challenger who he is running neck-and-neck with. The incumbent Republican restated his problems with Trump’s candidacy before dismissing the idea of some supporting pulling the lever for McGinty in just over two weeks.
“I’ve been pretty clear. Donald Trump has said a lot of things, advocated a lot of policies that I have real problems with. I’ve supported every Republican nominee since Ronald Reagan. I’ve had differences with every one of them,” Toomey said. “But with Donald Trump, it’s a different situation. He’s said things that are very, very objectionable and he’s indicated support for policies that are very, very problematic.”
“I’ll tell you, anybody that is supporting Donald Trump, I can’t see why in the world they would support Katie McGinty,” Toomey said. “That’s a choice they’re going to make, but there’s no reason in the world they would support Katie McGinty.”
Toomey, who is one of the top targets of Democrats on the Senate level, has been one of the few Senate Republicans up for re-election who has withheld support for Trump since he became the party’s nominee. Toomey and New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte are currently the targets of a new ad campaign by Priorities USA, who is shifting focus from the presidential contest to go after the pair of Senate Republicans.
Recently though, Republican-backed groups are now beginning to concede a Clinton victory in November and are turning their attention to tight Senate contests. The Chamber of Commerce launched an ad blitz in support of Ayotte Friday, touting her ability to work across party lines, arguing further that Republicans can’t give Clinton a “blank check” by giving Democrats the majority back.
“Everybody’s going to make their own decision,” Toomey said of the decisions of those groups. “I have told people that the last thing in the world that we want is a Hillary Clinton president and a Democratic-controlled Senate for a lot of reasons. Her prospects, unfortunately, are looking better and I think people are going to be really concerned about her having a blank check.”
Toomey has been set on courting voters in the Philadelphia suburbs, an area where Trump has struggled mightily polling wise. Particularly, Toomey is counting on those in the middle of the political spectrum in the area and split-ticket voters, forcing him to thread the needle between Trump supporters who are upset by his opposition and supports Hillary Clinton supporters who he will likely need to win a second term.
“Well, that’s what the arithmetic suggests, right?” Toomey said about the need for Clinton supporters to back him. “I think my record in the Senate is one that appeals to open-minded Democrats and independents. I think I’m doing really well amongst independents. There are a lot of culturally-conservative Democrats in Pennsylvania … Democrats who believe in a work ethic and they believe in personal responsibility and the kinds of things that I’ve been an advocate for. I think I’m doing well.”
One area Toomey sees an opportunity with independents is concerning gun rights, having supported measures to increase background checks. In fact, Toomey earned the support of billionaire and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and by former Rep. Gabby Giffords’ anti-gun violence PAC. Recently, Toomey also held a campaign event in Villanova, Pa. with Sen. Susan Collins, a fellow Republican who supports many of the same measures.
At the moment, Toomey holds a slight advantage over McGinty, leading by just under 2 points according to the latest RealClearPolitics polling average.
